Criminal justice is so much more than street policing.
That was something Tala Tobeh knew she wanted to prove when she enrolled at the 杏吧专区 and chose the field over her family杏吧专区檚 pick of health care.
杏吧专区淚 switched my major to something I absolutely loved; I had an interest in it,杏吧专区 she says. 杏吧专区淎 lot of people were telling me I杏吧专区檇 only be able to get one type of position, but I just knew I wanted to get into the criminal justice field. It was the best decision I杏吧专区檝e made.杏吧专区
Upon completing her B.S. in Criminal Justice in 2022, Tobeh accepted a position as an investigative specialist with the Louisiana State Analytical and Fusion Exchange.
Tobeh describes the role as a 杏吧专区渉idden gem杏吧专区 that she was able to secure by preparing during her undergraduate studies and networking on LinkedIn.
What is Criminal Justice?
The criminal justice degree program at UL Lafayette is designed to prepare students for all avenues of criminal justice, from law and the court system to criminal behavior and investigation to advocacy and social justice issues.
Tobeh says this breadth empowers students to focus on areas that are meaningful to them and the careers they want to pursue.
杏吧专区淚t gave a lot of options for us to choose from, depending on what we were interested in, and it all helps in a different way,杏吧专区 says Tobeh. 杏吧专区淟ike courts process, for instance. Now that I'm in the field, I need to know things about the court process. UL Lafayette helped me to have that information to apply to my career.杏吧专区
Likewise, instructors in the degree program 杏吧专区 offered on campus and 100% online 杏吧专区 bring both research and field experiences to their content, connecting the two to deliver rich insights into criminal justice in Louisiana and across the U.S.
杏吧专区淭hey're taking what they know, and they're teaching that to us so we're able to apply that to our careers,杏吧专区 says Tobeh.
Finding the Right Role
Long before she graduated, Tobeh was determined to find a position in criminal justice that would also fit the lifestyle she wanted.
Tobeh frequented job fairs to network and took advantage of the 杏吧专区杏吧专区檚 . She was able to meet one-on-one with someone in the office who helped her with her resume and encouraged her to get active on LinkedIn.
"I started adding all kinds of law enforcement professionals in Louisiana and Texas, and I came across some people that I actually work with now and connected with them,杏吧专区 says Tobeh.
In making those connections, Tobeh learned about the and its work.
杏吧专区淚 was like, 杏吧专区楾hat杏吧专区檚 perfect,杏吧专区櫺影勺ㄇ鴿 she says.
As an investigative specialist, Tobeh and her colleagues assist with case support for local, state, tribal and federal agencies by collecting, evaluating, analyzing, and disseminating information and intelligence data regarding criminal and terrorist activities.
杏吧专区淚 would say it's very rewarding,杏吧专区 says Tobeh. 杏吧专区淭he cases that we work are sometimes very complex and sometimes disturbing and very sad. So coming up with that information and giving the investigators or the officers what they need feels like we're doing something that is helping in a way.杏吧专区
Plus, Tobeh has been able to consistently grow in the span of only a year, moving up in her position and specializing in domestic terrorism and extremism. She杏吧专区檚 also a trainer for incoming employees.
杏吧专区淭here杏吧专区檚 definitely a lot of room for growth,杏吧专区 she says.
For those interested in criminal justice, Tobeh says there are tremendous opportunities.
"Keep an open mind and know that there's more to the field than out-in-the-field law enforcement," says Tobeh. 杏吧专区淭his job that I have now is a hidden gem, and there's tons of jobs like this. You just have to put yourself out there. Attend career fairs, go out on LinkedIn and Handshake. Just put yourself out there, and you'll find it.杏吧专区
Develop the knowledge and skills to design better approaches to address crime and related issues. Learn more about the B.S. in Criminal Justice online at the 杏吧专区.